Making Winter Fun
An Evolution of the Union's Winter Carnival
Winter programming at the Union started in the 1940s with a ten-day festival including ski jumping, ice carving, and a Snow Ball. The winter festivities continue today with new traditions including Hoofer Ski & Snowboard's Rail Jam, a broomball and ice hockey tournament hosted by Rec Sports (now Rec Well), ice golf and the return of the 1979 Lady Liberty statue, when Wisconsin Hoofers leaders surprised campus in 2019 with a replica inflatable Lady Liberty on Lake Mendota.
View the video for more about the Winter Carnival.
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Video: Evolution of the Winter Carnival
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Mini Courses
ca. 1980-1989 — A large ballon on Lake Mendota advertises the Wisconsin Union Mini Courses during Winter Carnival.
Image courtesy of the UW-Madison Archives, #2017s01122.
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The New Lady Liberty
2018 – The Wisconsin Hoofers resurrected Lady Liberty with an inflatable replica on Lake Mendota, debuted during Winter Carnival.
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Ice Skating
Women pause to pose for a photo in front of the Red Gym while ice skating on a skating rink on Library Mall.
Image courtesy of the UW-Madison Archives, #S12109.
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Winter Carnival
1986 — Activities on Lake Mendota during the 1986 Winter Carnival at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Memorial Union is in the background.
Image courtesy of the UW-Madison Archives, #S00870.